U.S. Pat. No. 5,614,017 describes substances useful as water reducing and superplasticizer additives for cement composition which are formed by reaction of carboxylic acid polymers with polyethers of C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 epoxides. The procedure taught by the patent for preparation of such additives involves the use of a preformed carboxylic acid polymer which is combined with the polyether to be reacted. Unfortunately, such a procedure has a number of practical disadvantages. Only a limited number of different carboxylic acid polymers are available commercially. Optimizing the properties of the additive by adjusting the composition and molecular weight of the carboxylic acid polymer thus is somewhat difficult. Another problem is that certain carboxylic acid polymers are insoluble in or immiscible with many polyethers; initiation of the necessary esterification and polyether cleavage reactions cannot be readily accomplished. While water can be used as a solvent to dissolve both reagents, the water must be stripped out before a significant degree of ester formation can occur. As water is removed, the polyether and carboxylic acid polymer phase-separate, preventing further esterification.
Given such difficulties, it would be highly desirable to develop alternative synthetic methods for the preparation of these useful cement additives which more readily permit a wide variety of carboxylic acid polymers and polyethers to be utilized.